Weed cutter



p 10, 1940- J. K. NAGAMATSU 2,214,063

WEED CUTTER Filed June 9 19:59

INVENT OR.

I 1 J 655 1222 amaisu? i 7 AW stroy Weed growth after planting seed in the lower end the rigidly mounted weed cutting disc Patented Sept. 10, 1940 i r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEED CUTTER James K. Nagama-tsu, Santa Ana, Cal f.

Application June 9, 1939, Serial No. 278,197

2 Claims. (01. 97-43) My invention relates to improvements in weed yoke and journaled therein substantially midway cutters of that type employing a rotary cutting betweenthe side members of. the. body frame is blade which is adapted to destroy .weed growth. a revoluble shaft 29. This shaft projects down- The primary object of the invention is to dewardly below the body frame and carries on its ground before or after the seed starts to C which isjadapted to out and destroythe weed sprout but before the growth emerges above the growthin the soil over which the'carrier frame is surface of the soil to any considerable extent, so caused to travel. Thecutting disc and its shaft as to eliminate all or to a considerable degree are revolved by a suitable motion transmitting hoeing expense formerly done by manual labor. connection with the drive shaft 12. As shown By the use of my invention the weed growth is this connection comprises a longitudinal shaft cut above and without injuring the seed sprouts 2%, the ends of which are journaled in the transthe soil is simultaneously broken and loosverse bearing supports. 22 and. .23 between the ened in such manner as to avoid the necessity of side me be s Of e b y f the P 0f p hand. hoeing which heretofore has been necestfirlneshing miterigears 241 and 25 be the 15 sary and customary. More uniform work. is perforward end of shaft. 2 a d t e Vertical disc formed by the use of invention than by shaft 2t, andthe pairof miter gears 26 and 21 hand hoeing. Also by the use of my impr-ovebetween the rearward end of shaft 2.! and the ment injury to the: seed which has been planted r n v drive Shaft 3- Thus as the carrier and which has sprouted is avoided. Further frame advances the revolution of the carrier go much time and expense are saved by the use of Wheels 28' causes the cutting disc C to revolve at my invention. Anion further objects is the proe d Speed 0 efficiently u Weed growth duction of a simple, light, strong, inexpensive Withwhich the cuttingedge 3d of the blade conand effective structure of the type stated. tacts. The .peripherial speed at which the cut- In th accompanyin drawing forming part of ting disc revolves is preferably relatively greater 25 this specification, Fig. 1 is a lan of my 1111-- than the forward speed of the machine so as to proved weed cutter; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of out the W e growth m c ively. While I the structure shown in Fig. 1, portion being have shown a gear connection. between the vershown in section taken on line 2 2 of Fi 1; tical shaft 29 and the driven shaft 52 for rotat- 30 Fig, 3 i l s id l ti of a detail ing the cutting disc the invention contemplates 3o illustrating the cutting blade in the act of cuty Suitable means for revolving t utti d ting Weed growth in t ground fter t Seed The rotary cuttingdisc C is held at the desired has been planted and has started to sprout, and elevation relative t0v e dy rame by the P 4 side elevation of a detail showing an of bearing c011ars 3i and 32 on pp s d s of alternative construction of part of my improvethe upper 8 of the 57 Said Collars being 35 u releasably secured to the disc shaft by set screws In the drawing, A is a horizontal oblong skele- In practice the Cutting disc justed 170- ton body frame. The rearward end of this frame cut the Weed growth close to or tly el w the is Supported by pair of Carrier Wheels s and surface of the soil but above seeds which have the forward end is supported by the single carbeen planted 50 as not disturb cut y 40 rier wheel H. The carrier wheels it are mount- Sprouts 0f the hitter- W 11611 the disc shaft 15 d upQn th ends of a transverse haft, {2 which adjusted in elevation as desired the miter gear are journaled in t beatings 53 These bearings 25 is secured to said shaft by the set bolt 34 with are mounted upon the opposite side members 64 its teeth in p mesh With o teet of the and I5 of the body frame. The forward carrier Companion gear 24. 45 wheel M is mounted upon the shaft it, the ends The cuttin disc C COIlSiStS Of a h n C rcular of which are iournaled in the bearing blocks H, plate which revolves in a horizontal plane or said blocks in turn being heldin vertical guides while slightly inclined forwardly. This plate 53 between the ends or" bolts it so that resembles a cone, being cupped slightly upwardthe forward end of the body frame can be ad- 1y towards its center and is concentrically 50 justed in elevation on the carrier wheel for purmounted upon its drive shaft 20. Its upper surposes to be hereinafter described. face slopes slightly upwardly and inwardly in B is vertical y-olie secured rigidly to the side an inclined plane which serves to break the soil members it iii in the median portion of the and loosen it without disturbing the seed and 5 body frame. Passing vertically through this young growth below. The upper surface ad- 55 joining the periphery of this disc is sharpened to a smooth knife edge 30 so as to readily cut the weed growth by centrifugal cutting action. The abrasive action of the soil on the upper surface and adjoining the periphery of the disc automatically maintains the cutting edge sharp which is an advantage. The cupping of the disc upwardly and inwardly also causes its upwardly sloping surface 34 to lift and loosen the soil above the disc as the machine advances thus cultivating the soil above the seed which has been planted and promoting growth. By adjusting the elevation of the front end of the body frame on the carrier wheel I l by the adjusting bolts I9 a slight forwardly declining pitch may be imparted to the cutting disc so that it will bite into and tend to remain imbedded at the desired depth in the soil. However this inclination may not be sufficient to hold the blade at the proper depth as the ma- ..chine advances and I provide upwardly and longitudinally projecting arms 35 on the frame by which the vehicle is propelled and by which part of the propelling effort is diverted downwardly upon the frame to hold the rotary cutting blade at relatively even elevation irrespective of the condition of the soil. These propelling arms 35, when extending forwardly as shown may be attached to a tractor or other vehicle for operation or when extended backwardly (not shown) may be used to push the machine by hand or power. This feature is important because when the machine is light in weight as in the present instance the cutting blade must be held at even elevation in the ground or it will not operate evenly. Calks 33 of any suitable well known con struction may be used on the rims of the carrier wheels to improve traction and break the soil in case it is hard or incrusted.

In the alternative construction a propelling arm 35 is hinged at 36 on each side bar of the body frame and a lever arm 31 integral with the arm 35 presses downwardly against a spring 38 whereby the forward end of the body frame is held downwardly under spring action and the disc cutter is maintained at even depth in the soil while the machine is advanced by said propelling arm or arms.

In practice the body frame is coupled to a vehicle to be drawn or propelled by the arms 35 and as the machine advances the cutting blade cuts the weed growth above the seeds planted in the soil and simultaneously breaks and cultivates the soil above the seed so as to promote growth of the seed. The structure is exceedingly simple and effective in operation and is adapted to save much hand labor and expense. It performs the function of cutting and destroying weeds and cultivating the soil above freshly planted seed growth very effectively and by its uniform operation reduces loss of young stock which usually results from uneven hand hoeing. I have found it particularly useful and beneficial in the growth of peppers, onions, carrots and cotton but it is equally applicable for use with many other growths. These various growths at different depths are compensated by adjusting the cutting disc to operate at the most advantageous depth and elevation above the planted seed.

Various other modifications of the parts of my invention to produce the results attained are contemplated within the sprit of my invention and within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a Weed cutting machine, the combination of a body frame, supporting wheels disposed below the forward and rearward ends of said frame, a vertical shaft extending downwardly and journaled upon said frame, a substantially horizontal rotary cutting disc carried by the lower end of said shaft and adapted to travel below the surface of the soil and cut the weed growth as the machine advances, means for revolving said vertical shaft to impart centrifugal action to said disc, and a propelling member hinged to said frame having a laterally extending presser arm a spring upon the body frame against which the presser arm is impressed by the swinging movement of the hinged member to hold the body frame down and the disc evenly imbedded in the ground as the machine advances.

2. In a weed cutting machine, the combination of a body frame, supporting wheels disposed below the forward and rearward ends of said frame, a vertical shaft extending downwardly and journaled upon said frame, a conical rotary cutting disc carried by the lower end of said shaft and adapted to travel below the surface of the soil and cut the weed growth as the machine advances, means for revolving said vertical shaft to impart centrifugal action to said disc, and a propelling member movably connected to swing upon said frame in a vertical plane and resiliently impressed downwardly by the swinging movement thereof, whereby the body frame is held down and the disc is evenly imbedded in the ground as the machine advances.

JAMES K. NAGAMATSU. 

